analgesia

American  

[an-l-jee-zee-uh, -see-uh] / ˌæn lˈdʒi zi ə, -si ə /

noun

Medicine/Medical.

1. absence of sense of pain.

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analgesia British  

/ ˌænəlˈdʒiːzɪə, -sɪə, ænˈældʒɪə /

noun

1. inability to feel pain

2. the relief of pain

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Usage

What does analgesia mean? Analgesia is a lessening of pain or the absence of pain.It’s usually used in the context of medicine as a more technical way of saying pain relief.The related word analgesic refers to a remedy that reduces or relieves pain. It especially refers to pain relief medicine, such as acetaminophen or NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like ibuprofen. Analgesic can also be used as an adjective describing things that have pain-relieving effects, as in the analgesic properties of certain herbs. Example: The study determined that the medication can interfere with analgesia in certain patients.

Etymology

Origin of analgesia

1700–10; < New Latin < Greek analgēsía painlessness, equivalent to análgēt ( os ) without pain ( an- an- ¹ + álg ( os ) pain + -ētos adj. suffix) + -ia -ia

Example Sentences

I ordered the nurse to administer an IV anti-inflammatory and nausea medication, gradually stepping up the strength of analgesia while hoping to use the minimum needed.

From Washington Post • Mar. 9, 2018

A courtroom is a place you can go to access the analgesia of precise numbers.

From Slate • Oct. 30, 2017

The meeting was overseen by the head of its anesthesia, analgesia, and addiction products section, Dr Bob Rappaport.

From The Guardian • Sep. 15, 2017

When flight or fight is possible, motor programs for running or fighting are activated, the arousal system is switched to a high-energy setting and nonopioid analgesia is switched on.

From Scientific American • Aug. 4, 2017

But analgesia was in its infancy in the 1930s.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand